A Phish Quiz For Beginners

Test your knowledge of the iconic Vermont jam band

Jun 23, 2022

(Editor’s Note: Phish is one of JEP’s core obsessions. The depth of lore and mythology around the band can be intimidating, so here, in the form of a quiz, is a short introduction to some of the key accomplishments and arcania associated with the band. Good luck!)

The band was named after:

1) John Fishman the drummer

2) Internet scammers

3) One of Trey Anastasio’s chemistry teachers in high school

4) It was produced by a random name-generator

An early Phish song can be summed up thusly: Girl goes to fairground. Girl meets Armenian man. Armenian man gives girl a doll. Girl flies around and encounters many angry people. Girl jumps naked into lake. Doll pulls girl beneath surface of water, drowning her. And so the thread of yet another human existence is cut short by the scissors of badness. What is the name of the girl in this song?

1) Suzy Greenberg

2) Esther

3) Sweet Georgia Brown

4) Sad Lisa

Fishman playing one of his famous vacuum cleaner solos

The “donut” logo has long been associated with Phish. Why?

1) As part of an early marketing strategy, the band signed a promotional contract with Federal Donuts of Philadelphia

2) During the band’s early years in Burlington, Vermont, donuts were the only food they could afford

3) Jon Fishman’s dress, which he wears for every performance, has donut-shaped designs on it

4) It is a metaphor for the universe, which scientists say is shaped like a three-dimensional donut

Phish’s 37-year career has been organized into “eras” as defined by both internal and external events. How many eras have been identified?

1) 2.0

2) 3.0

3) 4.0

4) 0 — it’s all one long jam

At the band’s famous 7-hour New Year’s Eve concert in Big Cypress, FL on the occasion of Y2K, Trey offered a message of peace and love for the coming millennium. What was his message?

1) Pray for peace while eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

2) Do something kind for a stranger every day

3) Remember that the right lane is for driving and the left lane is for passing

4) Make a donation to the UN’s Humanitarian Relief Fund

Page on the Keytar during a rendition of “Lawn Boy”

The song “Lawn Boy,” featuring the vocal stylings of keyboardist Page McConnell, is how long?

1) 2:30

2) 3:45

3) “Is this still Lawn Boy?”

4) All of the above

Phish as Finnish prog-rock band Kasvot Vaxt

Phish is famous for donning “musical costumes” for Halloween performances in which they cover an entire album by another artist. Which of the following albums has not been covered by the band in these performances?

1) The White Album

2) Remain in Light

3) Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House

4) Quadrophenia

5) None of the above

From time to time, Trey and bassist Mike Gordon like to jump in tandem on small trampolines on stage while they are playing. Which song is most associated with these trampoline breakouts?

1) “Bouncing Around the Room”

2) “You Enjoy Myself”

3) “Camel Walk”

4) “The Moma Dance”

Phish famously sold out 13 consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden in 2017 in a series dubbed “The Baker’s Dozen.” Which of these was a notable achievement of the series?

1) The band flew into the auditorium riding a giant hot dog and throwing wieners to the audience

2) The audience was treated to free donuts at every show

3) The band never repeated a song during the run

4) Trey played a 37-minute guitar solo on “Jesus Left Chicago”

5) 2 & 3